A “Microscopic Handbag,” created by Brooklyn-based collective MSCHF, sold for a price of over $63,000 at an online auction Wednesday.
Known for its satirical art projects, MSCHF took inspiration from Louis Vuitton to create the piece, reported CNN. The bag measures a mere 657 by 222 by 700 microns, or less than 0.03 inches wide. “Smaller than a grain of sea salt and narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle, this is a purse so small you’ll need a microscope to see it,” MSCHF wrote in an Instagram post.
The art collective, led by Chief Creative Officer Kevin Wiesner, clarified that they did not seek permission from Louis Vuitton or their creative director of menswear, Pharrell Williams, who also happens to be the founder of the online auction house hosting the event, Joopiter. (RELATED: Kanye West’s New ‘Wife’ Seems To Have Forgotten The Entire Bottom Half Of Her Outfit)
The bag was crafted using two-photon polymerization, a cutting-edge technology used for 3D-printing micro-scale plastic parts, reported CNN. This manufacturing process allowed MSCHF to achieve impeccable detailing, including Louis Vuitton’s signature “LV” monogram, which strikingly resembles the brand’s full-sized OnTheGo tote, a luxury item that currently retails between $3,100 to $4,300.
MSCHF continues its activism in challenging consumer capitalism and critiquing the excesses of the art and fashion worlds reported the outlet. In the past, the art collective faced a legal battle with Nike over their “Satan Shoes,” a limited edition featuring satanic symbols and a drop of human blood.
“As a once-functional object like a handbag becomes smaller and smaller its object status becomes steadily more abstracted until it is purely a brand signifier,” MSCHF continued in their social media post.
Last year, MSCHF deconstructed four Birkin handbags, transforming them into high-end sandals named “Birkinstocks,” which could cost up to $76,000 per pair.